If you are in touch with the world of video games, you must have heard of the famous simulation game called The Sims.
This casual life simulation game is one of the most successful video games series, having sold more than 175 million copies worldwide as of September 2013. In fact, this game is so popular that it was awarded five world records in the Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition, this includes “World’s Biggest-Selling Simulation Series”, and “Best Selling PC Game of All Time” for the original The Sims game.
So what makes this game so popular among gamers? To answer that question, one has to first understand the basic concept and goals of the game.
The game revolves around the simulated lives of virtual people called ‘Sims’. The player of the game is responsible for creating and constructing the towns of which the Sims live in, and control the Sims to fulfil their daily needs (hunger, bladder, fun, hygiene, energy, social, comfort, and environment) and attain their personal desires. Players can personalize the towns and the houses by using in-game building tools and buy furniture using the game currency called Simoleons.
In my opinion, the game is so popular because I think that everyone are closet control freaks. We have this desire of wanting to be in control of everyone and everything in our lives.
In The Sims, we are given this avenue where we can create an entire new world and environment for mini versions of ourselves and others, we are given this opportunity to feel almost like a ‘God’ of some sort. In this virtual world, we can be celebrities, politicians, athletes, scientists, and even supernatural beings such as vampires and fairies! The possibilities are endless, and I believe that this appeals to almost everyone and to both genders, which ultimately contributes to the general success of the game.
I think that anyone who has ever played The Sims, secretly wishes that they were a Sim. I know I sometimes do. Here are top 5 reasons anybody would wish they were living in a Sims world.
#1 Goodbye Procrastination, hello Efficiency
If you’ve controlled a Sim before, you would know that they are completely goal-oriented. Make them read a book, and they will read it non-stop until the whole book is completed. If they are supposed to learn a skill like fishing, painting, or body building, they will keep at it until they’ve earned a skill level.
This, of course, is if none of their needs are critically low. Point is, as a Sim, you will be 100 percent focused on your task until completion without being distracted at all, imagine how much you can accomplish within a day!
#2 Relationships are no longer complex and complicated
Basically to make a friend in The Sims, all you have to do is keep doing good actions towards another Sim. Keep giving him high fives non-stop, or shower him with compliments non-stop, or tell him jokes non-stop; within hours he is your new best friend. And he stays your best friend as long as you give him a gift every now and then. If only it was this easy to make and keep real friends in the world.
This is similar for when you want to get married, as a Sim, just keep flirting and hugging, then continue with constant romantic gestures non-stop and there you go, time to get married. Absolutely no drama at all.
#3 Jobs are plentiful and you are hired instantly
Want a job? Sure, just go on the computer or scour the newspaper, there are new options everyday and all you have to do is make a call, you get the job right away. No interviews, no résumés, no fuss. Plus, you can get promoted easily. Just show up at work every day and fulfil the minimum requirement for your job; you don’t have to deal with difficult bosses or politically influenced work environments.
#4 Unicorns can be found
Do I really need to explain more? Come on.
#5 When something goes wrong, just use a cheat
If all else fails and you’re too lazy to get a job, all you need to do is use a cheat code. After all, who needs to work hard when you have the CTRL + SHIFT + C (combination of keys to enter the cheat code in the game)?
One important thing is that if you are a Sim, you have to make sure that the virtual world you’re in has ‘free will’ enabled, or else you basically can’t do anything unless someone ‘orders’ you to. You’ll have to live in a world where you pee on the floor even though the toilet is just a few feet away or you starve to death even though the refrigerator which is full of food is right in front of you.
You will have everything but you can’t do anything, that’s no way to live at all! Wait, now excuse me while I stare at my laptop to play my virtual life in The Sims and continue to escape from reality.
Also read: Korean father lets 2 year old son starve to death while playing online games
Despite being an ardent Sims fan, the writer sincerely hopes that readers understood the punchline.
